When S.H. Figuarts got on the ball and decided to release DBZ figures in the line, they were the figures I had always wanted. Great sculpts, poseability, and most importantly, they looked like they could actually pull off the stuff seen in the show. When Super Saiyan Gohan was announced, I knew that it was something I had to have. I finally got what I wanted all those years ago.

I’m going to start things off a bit differently by looking at the back of the box. Gohan was an undeniable badass during the Cell saga and the figure really looks to capture all of that emotion. Note though that in the picture, the outfit is a dark purple as we’ll see in actuality …

it’s a much lighter shade than seen on the box. Not what I was expecting and it looks to be a change made across the board, as other reviews have shown the figure cast in this shade as well. I’m not too sure as to why Bandai decided to make the change, but it’s not a deal killer. As I mentioned, the figure showcases a ton of personality, partly due to the fact it contains 6 different faces of various states of anger and amusement. You also get 3 sets of hands to aid in that show of anger. Surprisingly though, none of these faces remotely resemble Soulja Boy.

Taking Gohan out of the package and into the world is nothing short of amazing. As he requested just before the games got started, Gohan has the outfit of his mentor, Piccolo. Comparing it to Piccolo’s own Figuart, the cape is a solid piece which cannot be moved. It does hamper shoulder movement, but it doesn’t make the figure have any balance issues that one would expect.

The cape comes on and off rather easily and doesn’t leave any scuff marks or damage on the figure. With the cape out of the way, you’re fully available to pull off just about any pose you want. S.H. Figuarts are the best scaled figures out on the market and Gohan proves that, better than any Figma or Revoltech. I’ll let out one last peeve here before I move on. I’m kind of disappointed that they didn’t include a normal hair and face for Gohan. The figure did include both hair for Super Saiyan 1 and 2 along with 6 faces, but just one more pair would’ve made this even better. Considering though that this is Bandai we’re talking about, you can probably bet on a Tamashii Nation exclusive of it down the line.

Showing off that level 2 hair, Gohan can easily swap between the two. For those that are wondering, you should be able to use the SS 2 hair from Gohan with the previously released Super Saiyan Goku.

As I said, Figuarts are great for posing. Gohan can easily recreate any pose that you remember from the show. It’s easy to put Gohan into about any pose that you want, especially given the great balance that Figuarts releases have. The knee joints are different from what you see on most Figuarts (especially the Kamen Rider figures), but that’s due to the pants. It leaves the joint fairly visible from the back, but nothing that hasn’t been seen with figures before.

S.H. Figuarts puts out quality figures and are easily the best of any figure out in the market. Super Saiyan Gohan may be a head shorter than the rest in height, but it stands tall when it comes to the level of poseability and quality that has come to be expected of the line. I can wholeheartedly suggest this figure to any fan of DBZ and figures in general.